Has anyone ever used TGM and NOT been satisfied?

[maslex]

I was just wondering if there has been anyone who hasn't felt that using TGM was useful. I mean did you print out all your info bring it to the parks and it just didn't live up to your expectations?

I've read so many posts about how people absolutely LOVE TGM and how wonderful is info is, but like everything else in this world, different strokes for different folks. What works for one, doesn't work for all.

So let me know if this info wasn't what you expected or if it didn't do what it said it would.

 

[brentalex]

I used it and was not satisfied. We went during our kids spring break which this year happened to be the same as Easter week. I had read the boards about how great it was and so decided to try it. Now one thing is that I think you need time before your trip if you want to get the most out of it. I ordered it only a few days before going. There is a lot of information, I did not find it very easy to find what I was looking for, and may have missed some of the better suggestions. However, you are asked if you are staying on site, we were, and are asked other questions as if it really will be personalized. I did not find it to be so. I was warned to stay away from EMH parks because people from the disney resorts would be there. Well, I was from a disney resort and I wanted information to help me make the most of EMH, not warned to stay away. In what I printed about touring the AK park there was no mention of Expedition Everest. It did not seem to me to be very helpful. Now again to be fair, there is a lot of information there, I only had a few days to look around the site and maybe I missed some good information. But I think there should be some warning that if you only have a few days to look at the site that maybe you should reconsider. One good thing though, I did complain and my credit card was quickly refunded. No complaints there.

 

[maslex]

Thanks for responding. I understand not getting all the info since you've only had it a couple days before leaving, that's why I bought mine a couple weeks ago and STILL have 1 1/2 years before we leave, so HOPEFULLY I'll be able to get through the whole site and learn how to navigate it.

Glad to hear you got your money back.

How about anyone else? Does anyone have any tips on how to navigate the site any easier?

 

[Ardenne]

Well, FWIW, I signed up for TGM last year just about a week before leaving on our trip, but was unable to get much of anything out of it due to some kind of problem the site was having at that particular point in time -- it'd take 5-10 minutes to load a single page, so it was practically impossible for me to navigate through enough to read any reasonable amount of the (admittedly VERY VERY copious) information there. I asked for a refund, and though I was somewhat annoyed by his emailed response (basically he said that yes, they had had technical problems, but he thought I still should have been able to get enough out of it to make it worthwhile), he did refund my money promptly.

So, this year, I pondered long and hard whether to sign up and give it another try. I finally did a few days ago, after deciding that this time I'd not ask for a refund even if it wasn't useful to me, because it didn't seem right to ask for a refund twice. Well, I've only been on the site a few days, and please note that I haven't been to Disney yet using his advice to see just how well it works in practice, but I'm already thinking it'll be worth the $19 it costs with the DIS discount. His best-days advice is far more detailed than I've been able to find elsewhere, and he really explains *why* he recommends what he recommends, which is great because it enables you to adjust the suggestions as necessary to suit your individual group's needs. The articles are very helpful, and I've found a lot of helpful information already. There are forums for discussion, too, and though the boards seem to be a lot slower than we have here, the people are very friendly and helpful.

Yes, it's definitely NOT automated -- expect to put quite a bit of time into reading through everything and following the step-by-step planning advice! -- and yes, there's an insane amount of information there, and navigation isn't as intuitively obvious as I'd like it to be. I would still recommend it, though. And as I found out last year, he'll definitely give you a refund if you request it, even if he doesn't agree with your reasoning

With a year and a half to go yet, you'll have PLENTY of time to browse, and like I said, there's a lot there that I haven't seen elsewhere. I don't think you can go wrong giving it a try.

 

[Silverbelle990]

I was not very happy about tour guide mike. everything he told me I already knew through expeirance.

I didn't ask for my money back, but next time i know I am a better planer the TGM. (At least for my family)

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

I love, love, love TGM! I am an overplanner though, and I could see how the amount of information can be overwhelming. I say give it a try! As previously posted, if you aren't satisfied, you get your money back!

 

[sameyeyam]

I used Touringplans.com, used a little of the info., but not a lot. I like to plan things, kids wanted to be more spontaneous. I do like their crowd calendar, but went against the advice on not attending parks on EMH days, and lived to regret it!

Although I liked a touring plan, my kids reminded me several times "we're on vacation!". So I finally eased up on the plan and to be honest enjoyed myself more.

I probably would not use a touring plan again, I would do the following first:

1. Arrive at the park before opening. Rush around to all the must see rides, there is virtually no wait in the morning.

2. Don't go to a park on EMH days.

3. Go back to hotel and swim/rest in the afternoons when parks start getting crowded.

4. If you go back to park in evening, just hit the less popular rides or ones that you happen to walk by that have a short wait. Or better yet, walk around the park in the evenings and enjoy the atmosphere and non-ride/non-line attractions, have dinner, etc...

In my opinion doing the above helped us avoid the long lines, didn't tire us out as much as running around crazily with a touring plan, and allowed for more relaxation time.

 

[CathrynRose]

I didnt care for it - but Ive been on Disney message boards a LONG time, Ive heard it alllllll.

I felt like I was re-reading everything I already knew.

I didnt ask for a refund, as it was a small amount. But I wouldnt get it again.

Now, i would reccomend it to someone whom is a Disney Newbie - although the information is so scattered....hard to navigate.